THE URBAN ROCK GARDENERT M

Transcription

1 THE URBAN ROCK GARDENERT M A NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY MANHATTAN CHAPTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY Volume 24, Issue 1 January/February 2011 ~ JANUARY MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT ~ MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 6 PM, HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK STEVE WHITESELL will speak on SMALL ROCK GARDEN DESIGN: IN CELEBRATION OF ARTIFICE The planted recycled concrete spheres at the Utrecht Botanical Garden, planted with a variety of challenging alpine plants, are only one example of aesthetically pleasing, horticulturally welcoming, and blatantly un-natural garden features to be seen in this illustrated talk. Writers and designers have wrestled with the incongruities of growing alpine plants in lowland garden situations, as well as incorporating this often-foreign garden element into the larger garden picture for decades, if not centuries. The speaker will argue that the best solutions are usually the ones that embrace architectural form and unexpected materials, while still closely replicating the conditions required for successful cultivation. MEETING LOCATION: THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, 148 WEST 37 TH STREET, 13 TH FL. Our meeting is conveniently located in midtown Manhattan, between 7 th Avenue and Broadway, near the 7 th Avenue #1/2/3 lines and the 6 th Avenue B/D/F subway lines. It is located three blocks north of Macy s and is not far from Grand Central, Penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. 1

2 ~ FEBRUARY MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT ~ ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 6:30 PM, HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK LOLA HORWITZ will speak on LITTLE DAFFS IN THEIR HABITAT I am pretty nutty about Narcissi and daffy about Daffodils. With habitat in the title of the talk I can stray a bit from the main subject to include pictures of wonderful orchids, as well as some companion plants I had never heard of and shots of the countryside of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco where the narcissi grow, though they grow elsewhere in the Mediterranean region as well. I joined a Green Tour operated by Ian Green last February with ten others, including two tour guides, and spent two exciting weeks observing a number of narcissi species in bloom. One of the guides had eyes that could navigate hairpin turns and flooded mountain roads while picking out an extraordinary number of target species on the roadside, often on banks high above us. I was very grateful for the extensive species list that each of us received in advance which covered much of the flora we would encounter in each country. Every other evening during the trip we would review the lists and tick off what we had seen. This list was and still is an immeasurable help in my efforts to identify the species in the pictures. I hope to share some of what made the trip special with you on February 28 th. 2

3 ~ CULTIVATING ALPINES AT THE UTRECHT BOTANIC GARDEN ~ The Botanic Garden in Utrecht has a large rock garden of approximately 4000 square meters and is the foremost rock garden in the Netherlands. The garden was first constructed between 1967 and 1976 on part of the site of a nineteenthcentury fortress on the east side of Utrecht, which also accommodated a new university center. The garden was expanded in 1995, when a small alpine house, peat beds and walls, and the recycled concrete and stone spheres were constructed and planted. The rock garden is divided into Asian, European, and American areas, a southern hemisphere section, an area devoted to cultivars, a scree, and the Hochstauden, an area with meadow and woodland plants native to European mountain valleys. The botanic garden exchanges seed with other institutions and also purchases plants for the rock garden. Plants and seed are also supplied by members of the Dutch Rock Garden Society and sourced from shares in various botanical expeditions. Prior to propagation, all seeds are registered and provided with a catalog number. Seed requiring stratification is sown in the autumn in an unheated greenhouse. Plastic pots are filled first with a layer of grit, then normal potting soil to the rim and compressed. Seeds are then sown and covered with a thin layer of sieved soil as thick as the depth of the seed, then watered. Seed pots are kept in the greenhouse for about three weeks, until the pots are thoroughly wetted and there is less of a problem with rodent predation, then transferred to a cold frame. The sash is removed if there is snow or light rain. The sash is removed when the weather warms and the frames covered with screen. The pots remain outside until seed germinates, which can take up to two years. Seed delivered in the spring is handled the same way and sown as soon as received. After germination, seedlings are pricked out and potted up, then planted out in the garden when they have achieved sufficient size. Normal potting soil is used for potting and grit or sharp sand added as required for each plant. Since there is very little natural stone in the Netherlands and imported stone is expensive, other materials have been sought for walls and garden construction. Broken concrete and stone paving slabs have been utilized, as well as other recycled materials. The walls for the raised beds are constructed of broken clay roof tiles with a wavy shape and a dark gray color resembling natural slate. The tiles are broken lengthwise so they lie flat and most visitors think the walls are built of natural stone. The raised beds are filled with a mixture of garden soil, broken stone, and lava rock. We have also added an old pig trough and clumps of marl clay to give the beds a special look. Difficult rock garden plants are relegated to these raised beds and the beds are covered with roofs of plastic sheeting from December until the end of February to keep them dry. The raised beds are located at the entrance of the rock garden and beside the visitor center to prevent theft. The three planted spheres were built of recycled concrete and natural stone slabs and range from four to six feet in height. Each sphere contains a vertical water pipe with a sprinkler head at the top. The pipe helped to establish the sphere diameter as it was built. Each layer of broken slabs was laid in a circle and the open space filled with sandy soil. Each ascending circle was slightly larger in diameter until half the intended height had been reached, then the diameter was steadily decreased until the fill height had been achieved. For the best result, we leveled each tier and used a mason s hammer to shape each stone or concrete slab for a tight fit. Each tier was filled with sandy soil as it was finished. When the spheres were complete, we began planting. At first, easily cultivated rock garden plants like Sedum platyclados, Sempervivum species, Armeria maritima, and various Campanula species were inserted in the open spaces between the slabs, which were dug out with a screwdriver or an old knife. The stone placement was adjusted as necessary to place the plant, then the open spaces filled with soil and the stones pushed back into place. After the more easily grown plants were established, we began planting more challenging species like Haberlea rhodopensis, Leontopodium alpinum ssp. nivale, Primula marginata, Dionysia aretioides, and various Primula, Dianthus, Saponaria, Draba, and Saxifraga species. The alpine house is built against one of the remaining soil fortress walls. The two side walls were constructed of broken concrete paving slabs and curbs of different thicknesses. In the planting spaces between are planted Daphne cneorum, Daphne arbuscula, Ramonda myconi, and various Primula, Saxifraga, Cerastium, and Gypsophila species, as well as ferns and so on. The walls stay relatively dry, so many difficult plants can be grown, and can reach soil and nutrients at the back of the walls. The growing conditions in the spheres duplicate the conditions found in the Czech crevice gardens, which I admire. 3

4 The rock garden staff is quite small; a manager and a gardener, with a volunteer one day a week, two interns in the spring, and one or two extra gardeners at busy times in the spring. The staff also man the propagation areas and the Theme Garden area. Wiert Nieuman {WIERT NIEUMAN is the retired hortulanus at the Botanic Garden of Utrecht. He writes for garden magazines in the Netherlands and has written books on rock gardening, rock plants, general gardening, and conservatory plants. He was formerly chairman of the NRV (Dutch Rock Garden Society.} ~ NARGS SEED EXCHANGE ~ In mid-december, the big table in the front room of the Horwitz home in Brooklyn was covered with glassine envelopes, rubber bands, pages of stick-on labels, cardboard sleeves with precious donated seed packets inside, glue sticks, and the all-important master list detailing target seed packet quantities, as well as space to fill in the quantities volunteers actually produced from the donated seed. Often the amount of seed, with a minimum of five seeds per package for the most requested species, wasn t sufficient to meet the number of requests and the volunteers tasked with fulfilling orders will be forced to rely on alternate items from members order forms, For this reason, it is essential that members requesting seed from the year s availability list include a number of alternate choices in the area specified for that purpose on the order form. Chapter volunteers had been meeting regularly since early December to package seed envelopes, both as a group in Brooklyn and individually in other parts of the city. They were a great group and the Manhattan Chapter and NARGS are indebted to each and every one of them: David Kuck (transporter of seeds from borough to borough), Ellen Borker, Francisco Correa, Jack Kaplan, Lola Horwitz, Judi Dumont, Kean Teck Eng, Loretta Darby, Mary Buchen, Michael Riley, Nancy Crumley, Paula Botstein, and Steve Whitesell. This year s seed packaging work is over, and the final stage of order fulfillment is occurring as you read this. The benefits of this international seed distribution project, staffed entirely by volunteer NARGS members, will be growing around the world in the gardens of NARGS members for years to come. Thanks to all members who contributed their time and energy to the success of this wonderful member benefit. If you aren t among the volunteers, who receive nine additional seed packets, by the way, or a donor to the seed exchange, who also receive the additional donor allotment, please plan now to be included among both groups in A minimum of five packets of garden-collected or wildcollected seed qualify you for the additional seed allotment and keep the seed exchange vital. The selection this year included more than 4500 taxa, many unavailable commercially. Growing from seed is the essence of creative and inquisitive gardening and there s no time like now to begin on this rewarding garden odyssey, if you re not already a convert. Lola Horwitz and Steve Whitesell 4 NARGS Vice-President Maria Galletti s Quebec Garden in Winter

5 ~ RILEY ON THE ROCKS ~ Best Wishes for Best Gardens in the New Year! That is not simply a wish - but a mandate for us all in 2011 because only a best garden will insure a Happy New Year there is method in my madness! I know that all of our NARGS members have perused the Internet list of the Seed Exchange and I admit to having found a few must-have species, in spite of the seed bank in my refrigerator that could probably reforest North America - IF I planted and grew the contents. A friend of mine who is relatively new to horticulture recently received a gift certificate to Park Seed and, although he has learned and moved forward quickly in his horticultural endeavors, he jump-started his passion with cuttings and rooted plants, bypassing the seed stage. I advised him to just relax and study the photos, and read the listings, and assured him that he would find a wealth of adventure in that catalogue. He now telephones me daily with a multitude of exciting questions and the wild imagination that he has found in those pages. How well I remember when Park Seed was the source of everything in my indoor and outdoor garden I think I ordered and grew every item, at one point or another. Now, as I gain in age and wisdom(?) I buy more fullygrown plants and still feel guilty at once having bought a tomato plant in full-fruit (just for decoration, of course). Working with Lola in sorting seed each December for the Seed Exchange, is somewhat of a cleansing process during which time I renew my appreciation for the hope and promise enveloped in each seed that we handle and the thought of passing that on to another appreciative gardener. We thank Lola for coordinating the experience and all of the members who participated in this worthwhile task it was fun. When I visited Maria Galletti last October, we were discussing seed germination and stratification, when she admitted that she did not always have terrific luck with seeds and often resorted to putting seed flats out in the snow and keeping them covered for several weeks, after which she got much better and stronger germination. We decided there was healing power in natural snow and rain that was not easily duplicated in horticulture. The snow cover in my apartment is a white box with two compartments, one above freezing and the other below freezing and there are seed trays in both (some people actually use these boxes to store food). However, the other day when we got two feet of snow in New York City, the first thing I thought of was REAL SNOW COVER, just like everyone else in the world. So I rushed to the roof and took the lids off my Styrofoam containers (covering plants in small containers) and removed the Styrofoam film from my troughs (to protect them from the wind) - and they experienced snow cover, some for the first time in their lives. As it began to melt, I shoveled more on top but, alas it is now gone too quickly, so I will restore my other protection. Snow does not necessarily insulate plants against the cold so much as it buffers temperature swings that challenge the vascular systems of plants by calling on them to slow down or speed up to compensate for, and against many elements. Remember when Pam Eveleigh told us how they protect their snow cover in Calgary from evaporation by covering it with sheeting? On my rooftop, desiccation directly to the bare plants from wind is the most obvious culprit over the winter, as well as the fact that they are sitting on a heated rooftop and radiated by strong morning sun which can be quite warm, even on a cold day. I know that my Ramonda and Haberlea have no problem with the cold temperatures because they survive quite readily in Maria s garden near Montreal and further north in the garden of my friend Ingrid in Umea, Sweden near the Arctic Circle... both with and without snow cover. However, although they are in raised beds of rock, they are also in the ground as opposed to mine, in a NYC trough or a Larry Thomas tower (however lofty and prestigious that may be) on top of a five-story apartment building. Some growers talk about how cute it is when Ramonda and some other nearly evergreen leaves curl up in winter to prevent desiccation just like a resurrection fern they don t mention how cute it is NOT, when the leaves fail to uncurl... and turn brown. News on the NARGS front is... an exciting first quarter issue of the Rock Garden Quarterly with an article and drawings by Abbie Zabar, the Seed Exchange at where orders can be placed through early February, new book reviews, a new webmaster, a board who failed to balance their budget but approved a $26.4M deficit budget (without the approval of the Manhattan Chapter) and optimism for the year ahead from President Grazyna Grauer. We hope that the NARGS government will unfurl like a resurrection fern. So, now in what may seem like a bleak time of year, with nothing happening in the garden... think of the promise buried in the soil, snuggled between the rocks and encapsulated in those bulbs and tiny seeds that are ready to burst forth with vitality and life. The lights on Broadway are shining on your garden and it will not take a Spider Man to swing by to rescue it, just your careful thought and attention for a couple of more months. Join us for the January meeting and Steve will stimulate and facilitate this careful planning for us all. 5

6 Michael Riley s hypertufa troughs emerging from the rooftop snow ~ WHY DON T YOU? ~ ~ Plant out your Christmas Amaryllis bulbs when the weather warms in April? You should be tiring of the masses of foliage indoors by then. I ve planted Amaryllis outside by a building foundation 6-8 deep on the north side of the house for several years, where they emerge from dormancy each spring and bloom regularly each May. They d probably appreciate more sun, but seem to have adapted happily and the bulbs continue to grow larger each year. I imagine NYC is the northern edge of their hardiness, but experiment and report back the results. ~ Look closely at your garden and think about adjustments in the planting bed and path layout? This is much easier when plants are dormant and you can concentrate on structure, rather than weeding, deadheading and seasonal tasks. Look for places that would benefit from an evergreen winter presence, prune for improved form and air circulation, and revise path locations for more efficient circulation through the garden and more pleasing geometry. ~ Grow Clematis through shrubs and small trees. Their delicate stems, profuse, colorful flowers, and well-behaved foliage of most species and cultivars lend themselves well to this treatment. Avoid the more rampant species like C. terniflora, C. Montana, and C. tibetana that might smother a living trellis. Species that die to the ground each winter, like C. integrifolia and C. x durandii are well displayed growing through smaller shrubs with their 3-4 stems and provide a long period of blue flowers in summer. {STEVE WHITESELL is enjoyng the deluge of catalogs and seed lists that started arriving in December and preparing order forms for spring delivery.} ~ NORTH AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY ~ Join today. NARGS is for gardening enthusiasts interested in alpine, saxatile, and low-growing perennials. Annual dues in the U.S. and Canada are $30, payable in U.S. funds. VISA/Mastercard accepted. Benefits of membership include: Rock Garden Quarterly with articles on alpines and North American wildflowers, illustrated in color photographs and pen and ink drawings; annual seed exchange with thousands of plant species; study weekends and annual meetings in either U.S. or Canada; and book service to members. Join on-line at Or write: Bobby J. Ward, Executive Secretary NARGS, P.O. Box 18604, Raleigh, NC , USA 6

7 NARGS Western Winter Study Weekend, February 25-27, 2011 Along the Silk Road, Plants From Far and Near hosted by the Vancouver Island Rock & Alpine Garden Society in Sidney by the Sea, British Columbia Check the website for further information: Registar, Kathy Lallii: NARGS Annual Meeting, June 17-19, 2011 Discovering the Flora of New England hosted by the Fells Chapter at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire Discover the 80 year-old rock garden of Clarence Hay, a garden that is still evolving. Discover the beauty and mystery of Eshqua Bog, a rich fen with Cypripedium reginae and Plantanthera dilatata, and Philbrick-Crecenti Bog with Sarracenia purpurea and Calopogon tuberosus. Discover private garden gems of Vermont and New Hampshire. Stay for post conference trips and discover the alpine flora of Mount Washington in its prime bloom time, or the Garden in the Woods, with more than 1,000 native plant species as well as the unique New England Garden of Rare and Endangered Plants. For information and registration: {Editorial note: The Manhattan Chapter and NARGS award stipends to members who have never previously attended a National NARGS meeting. Chapter members interested in applying for the stipends should speak with Michael Riley about the specific criteria for grants.} ~ MANHATTAN CHAPTER NARGS ~ 2011 Membership Form Individual $20 Student $15 Individual 3 years $50 Gift membership* $15 (When renewing, you may give a Gift Membership to a new member.) Members dues status is indicated on this months mailing label. If you owe chapter dues, please take time to pay them now. Send your check with this form to: Gelene Scarborough, Membership Secretary 103 West 105 th Street #5B New York NY PLEASE PRINT Name Address Telephone Do you want to receive your newsletter via only? We do not use your for commercial purposes. Yes No Gift Membership Name Address Telephone MCNARGS is a volunteer organization. We would like your participation in our activities. How can you help? Plant-O-Rama (the last Tuesday in January at BBG) Newsletter Annual Plant Sale Hospitality Other 7

8 OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, 2011 CHAIRMAN Michael A. Riley PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS Mary Buchen Lola Lloyd Horwitz TREASURER Kean Teck Eng SECRETARY Judith Dumont MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Gelene Scarborough DIRECTOR, TOUR DIRECTOR Zabel Meshejian NEWSLETTER FOUNDING EDITOR Lawrence B. Thomas NEWSLETTER EDITOR Steve Whitesell PRINTING AND PRODUCTION Michael Riley CONTRIBUTORS to the January/February 2011 Issue Lola Horwitz, Weirt Nieuman, Michael Riley, Steve Whitesell THE MANHATTAN CHAPTER of NARGS, founded in 1987, is a group of gardening enthusiasts who are dedicated to the propagation and promotion of an eclectic range of plants, with emphasis on alpine and rock gardening selections. Our Chapter Programs, designed for a sophisticated mix of professionals and amateurs, cover a broad spectrum of special interests such as rock and alpine, woodland, bog, raised bed, planted walls as well as trough and container gardening. The yearly membership fee of $20 entitles members to five informative copies of THE URBAN ROCK GARDENER, to attend all meetings and field trips, as well as tours of unique and private gardens; plus participation in our much-anticipated Annual Plant Sale. If you are not already a member we invite you to be a guest at one of our upcoming meetings Manhattan Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society No material published in this newsletter, printed or virtual, can be reproduced without the express permission of its author. ~ WE LL SEE YOU AT THE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY MEETINGS ~ {Submission Deadline for the March/April Newsletter: March 4, 2011} REMINDER Dues are Due, PLEASE MANHATTAN CHAPTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY 101 West 104th Street, New York, NY FIRST CLASS MAIL Please recycle this publication. Thank You!

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